How To See Mars Through A Telescope (Easy Steps)

Which Eyepieces To Use To View Mars

Almost any good eyepiece will suffice, especially those with a medium or high magnification. The highest usable magnification depends on how steady the viewing conditions are and the aperture of your telescope. 

A magnification of 30 to 50 times the aperture size works well on steady nights. 

For example, for a 4-inch telescope, 

try 4 x 30 to 4 x 50 i.e. 120x to 200x magnification.

Similarly, if you have an 8-inch telescope, 

try 8 x 30 to 8 x 50 i.e. 240x to 400x magnification. 

The best thing to do is do some trial and error with magnification and eyepieces each night to get the best views of Mars. You don’t necessarily need fancy eyepieces to get a good view, just simple and decent Plossl eyepieces can do the job for you nicely.

Which Filters To Use When Viewing Mars

Because there are so many amazing features to observe on Mars’ surface and in its atmosphere, serious observers should use at least one or two color filters to view in greater detail.

Filters remove unwanted light from your view, leaving useful colors behind. With fewer colors reaching your eyes, your brain is much better at interpreting the differences it sees, so you can easily focus on different features on the Martian surface.

Red(#23, #25) – Best for looking at the polar ice caps and other features on Mars’ surface. Also enhances the edges of yellow dust clouds.

Blue (#80A, #82A) – Enhances blue or white clouds and the polar caps.

Light Green (#56) – Increases the contrast of Martian polar caps, low clouds, and yellowish dust storms.

Yellow (#12, #15) – Brightens the desert regions and darkens bluish and brownish features of Mars’ surface.

What Can You See On Mars With A Telescope

The characteristics on Mars’ surface are tiny, necessitating a keen eye and a very stable sky. Sorting out which feature is which, can be a bit difficult.

To get the best views of Mars’ surface, you’ll need a larger aperture telescope and a lot of patience to wait for the air to settle for details to appear.

Polar Ice Caps

Mars has ice caps at its poles that grow and wane with the seasons, just like Earth’s polar ice caps. They’re much smaller and thinner than the ice caps on Earth, and they’re formed of frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice) and underneath these layers is a base of water ice about 2 – 3 km thick.

We can see these polar ice caps using a small telescope, especially when Mars is closer. The southern cap tends to be most obvious when Mars is at opposition

Dark Surface Formations

There are large dark land formations on Mars that are actually exposed volcanic rocks. The darker regions were named after seas, lakes, or other watery features.

With a telescope you can for these large ancient volcanic “seas” such as Syrtis Major, Mare Tyrrhenum, and Mare Cimmerium.

These dark formations are sometimes obscured by atmospheric dust and sand.

The largest volcano in the Solar System called Olympus Mons which is 374 miles in diameter is also present on Mars. Although you can not see the volcano through your telescope, you might be able to spot the high-altitude clouds covering its location named Nix Olympica.

You can also see one of the largest canyons called in our solar system called Valles Marineris on Mars. 

The canyon can be seen through a telescope as a dark scar across Mars’ surface.

Light Surface Formations

There are light-colored smooth regions on Mars that were thought to be continents, so they were given names that described landmasses. With a telescope, you can see major areas of this type known as Elysium Planitia, Arabia Terra, the circular Hellas Planitia, and Amazonis Planitia.

Dust Storms

Martian dust storms are common, but every decade or so, for reasons unknown, a monstrous one goes global, veiling the planet. The storms can be a mortal threat to exploration. 

They tend to be massive and can be picked up in a telescope when the planet is nearby. 

The one in 2018 killed off NASA’s Opportunity rover by coating its solar panels in the dust. But now, researchers say the storms may also be one of the reasons why this once-wet planet lost its water.

Can You See Mars Without A Telescope

Mars can be viewed without a telescope in the early weeks of the year when it is still relatively bright and easy to spot in the evening sky. Mars is visible for much of the year as a bright star with a red hue, except for periods of time when it is too close to the Sun to be observed.

Tips To Observe Mars With A Telescope

Observing Mars through a telescope is a learned skill that takes continual practice. Below are some key tips for observing Mars.

• Best time to observe Mars is three to four weeks before or after opposition when it is closest to Earth.
• Avoid nights when the atmosphere is turbulent as Mars appears like a boiling reddish blob in the telescope. Start with low magnification and work your way up if the views remain steady. 
• Bring your scope out at least an hour before you plan to observe. By cooling it down and acclimatizing your scope to the ambient temperature, you’ll prevent air currents inside your scope from degrading the image of the planet.
• If you own a Newtonian or Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, make sure your telescope’s optics are collimated. 
• It can make a difference when it comes to discerning fine planetary detail.
• Mars rotates on its axis once every 24 hours and 37 minutes, because of this, if you observe the planet through your telescope at the same time for several weeks, you will be able to observe different surface areas.